Individuals who shop in retail stores, such as in supermarkets, generally use some sort of receptacle in which to place and carry the items that they wish to purchase until such time as purchase is actually made. The shopper carries these items within the receptacle until he or she has collected all items desired for purchase at that time, at which point the shopper brings the items within the receptacle to a checkout counter for payment. The most commonly-used receptacles are the shopping basket, which is used to hold smaller or fewer items prior to purchase, and the shopping cart or wagon, which is used to hold larger or more items prior to purchase.
Because shopping is an activity that often takes quite some time, especially in this age of large retail stores and supermarkets, a shopper will often get thirsty during shopping or will otherwise have a need for refreshment. It has, therefore, become a common practice for a shopper to select a cold drink, generally in a can or bottle, from one of the shopping displays at the outset of the shopper's route, drink that refreshment during the shopping activity and then pay for that drink at the checkout counter along with the rest of the shopping items.
However, drinking from an open container while shopping can be inconvenient and often difficult to manage, particularly for a shopper using a shopping basket to hold the chosen items prior to purchase. Because a shopper generally requires only one hand to carry a shopping basket, the shopper will have at most one free hand for taking items from the store shelf and placing them into the shopping basket and also for holding and drinking from the drink container.
A shopper who attempts to use the same hand for holding the drink and taking items off the shelves faces the risk of many undesirable results. One such undesirable result is the spilling of the drink, either on the shopper, on one or more of the chosen shopping items, or elsewhere within the store. Another undesirable result is the dropping of either the drink or one or more of the chosen shopping items, thereby possibly breaking packages or other containers and potentially causing injury.
Therefore, a shopper who is carrying an open, fluid-filled bottle or can in one hand and a shopping basket in the other hand would be required to set the drink aside when taking items off the shelves. Unfortunately, this may result in the drink being misplaced by the shopper or forgotten on the floor or shelves. This raises the possibility of the drink container later being broken or its contents spilled, thereby potentially causing injury. Thus, it is inconvenient for the shopper to carry and drink from an open, fluid-filled bottle or can while carrying a shopping basket.
It is, therefore, an object of the current invention to provide a shopper using a shopping basket with a convenient way to enjoy a drink while shopping.
It is another object of this invention to provide a shopper carrying a shopping basket with a convenient receptacle in which to place temporarily the drink when using his or her hands for shopping, without having to set aside or place either the drink or the shopping basket on the floor. It is yet another object of this invention to provide a shopping basket that is able to hold securely an open, fluid-filled bottle or can without spillage. This enables a shopper using the basket to drink from the bottle while shopping without having to set down either the basket or the drink in order to lift items from the shelves.